Dutch Prime Minister orders bars and restaurants to close in new ‘partial closure’

THE NETHERLANDS will enter a “partial lockdown” to stem one of the biggest waves of coronavirus in Europe, and all bars, cafes and restaurants will close, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

The sale of alcohol and cannabis will also be banned after 8 p.m. in an attempt to reduce social contacts that have led to the increase in Covid-19 cases, Rutte said of the steps.

After long refusing to make the wearing of masks mandatory, Rutte finally ordered that people over the age of 13 must also wear non-medical face coverings in all interior spaces.

“We are going to enter a partial blockade. It hurts but it’s the only way, we have to be more strict, “Rutte said at a televised press conference.

“If we do all of this, we can quickly return to a more normal life.”

‘Smart lock’

The rules will go into effect at 10 pm today and will have an initial duration of two weeks, when the government will review if they have stopped the spread of the virus.

The Dutch government for months opted for what Rutte called a “smart lockdown” policy that was much more relaxed than its European neighbors.

But he has struggled to control the second wave of the disease.

The Netherlands currently has the third highest rate of new infections per 100,000 people in Europe over the past 14 days, behind only the Czech Republic and Belgium, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

‘No more soft drugs’

Dutch health authorities reported a daily record of 7,393 new coronavirus infections, with 43,903 new cases over the past week and 150 deaths.

Among the new measures, team sports for those 18 and older are banned, while people are now limited to having three visitors in their home per day. The new steps are primarily aimed at the restaurant and entertainment industry, where the government says the disease is spreading.

Restaurants and cafes will close for everything except take-out, as will the famous “coffee shops” in the Netherlands that sell cannabis.

“No more alcohol or soft drugs will be sold or delivered between 8:00 pm and 7:00 am,” the new government regulations say, while public consumption of either is also prohibited during those hours.

The Netherlands has also lagged behind other European countries in ordering the use of masks, but Rutte said he wanted to “resolve a persistent discussion once and for all.”

The Dutch government gave “urgent advice” to wear masks in its latest set of measures two weeks ago, but “that did not provide enough clarity” and many people continued without them, Rutte said.

Rutte, who turns ten years in power today, has faced mounting criticism over the government’s inability to control coronavirus cases.

Populist opposition parties in particular have been using the Covid-19 crisis to push their case ahead of the Dutch elections in March.

– © AFP 2020.